Browsing by Author "Ponce, Excequel"

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    A First Omics Data Integration Approach in Hass Avocados to Evaluate Rootstock-Scion Interactions: From Aerial and Root Plant Growth to Fruit Development
    (2024) Nunez-Lillo, Gerardo; Ponce, Excequel; Beyer, Clemens P.; Alvaro, Juan E.; Meneses, Claudio; Pedreschi, Romina
    Grafting, the careful selection of rootstocks and scions, has played a crucial role maintaining Chilean avocado fruit quality standards in a scenario in which climate change and drought-related issues have considerably decreased avocado fruit production in the last fifteen years. The historical use of seedling rootstocks in Chile has experienced a recent shift towards clonal rootstocks, driven by the potential to produce more consistent and predictable crops. This research aims to compare Hass avocado plants grafted on Mexicola seedling and Dusa (R) clonal rootstocks in a soilless and protected system using (i) a differential expression analysis of root and leaf samples and (ii) a fruit transcriptomic and metabolomic integration analysis to improve our understanding of rootstock-scion interaction and its impact on avocado tree performance and fruit quality. The results demonstrated that no significant transcriptomic and metabolomic differences were identified at fruit level in the ready-to-eat (RTE) stage for Hass avocado fruit from both rootstocks. However, Hass avocados grafted on the clonal rootstock showed greater aerial growth and slightly increased fruit size than the seedling rootstock due to the enrichment of cell wall-remodeling genes as revealed in leaves and fruit at harvest stage.
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    A multiomics integrative analysis of color de-synchronization with softening of 'Hass' avocado fruit: A first insight into a complex physiological disorder
    (2023) Nunez-Lillo, Gerardo; Ponce, Excequel; Arancibia-Guerra, Camila; Carpentier, Sebastien; Carrasco-Pancorbo, Alegria; Olmo-Garcia, Lucia; Chirinos, Rosana; Campos, David; Campos-Vargas, Reinaldo; Meneses, Claudio; Pedreschi, Romina
    Exocarp color de-synchronization with softening of 'Hass' avocado is a relevant recurrent problem for the avocado supply chain. This study aimed to unravel the mechanisms driving this de-synchronization integrating omics datasets from avocado exocarp of different storage conditions and color phenotypes. In addition, we propose potential biomarkers to predict color synchronized/de-synchronized fruit. Integration of transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics and network analysis revealed eight transcription factors associated with differentially regulated genes between regular air (RA) and controlled atmosphere (CA) and twelve transcription factors related to avocado fruit color de-synchronization control in ready-to-eat stage. CA was positively correlated to auxins, ethylene, cytokinins and brassinosteroids-related genes, while RA was characterized by enrichment of cell wall remodeling and abscisic acid content associated genes. At ready-to-eat higher contents of flavonoids, abscisic acid and brassinosteroids were associated with color-softening synchronized avocados. In contrast, de-synchronized fruit revealed increases of jasmonic acid, salicylic acid and auxin levels.
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    Cell wall disassembly, metabolome and transcriptome analysis in sweet cherry fruit with induced surface pitting
    (2023) Ponce, Excequel; Nunez-Lillo, Gerardo; Bravo, Camila; Vidal, Juan; Tapia Reyes, Patricio; Meneses, Claudio; Pedreschi, Romina; Fuentealba, Claudia
    Surface pitting is the main quality problem that develops during prolonged storage of sweet cherries. It appears as one or more depressions on the surface of the fruit and is associated with the collapse of cells under the skin of the fruit. However, this physiological disorder is not shown in all cultivars with the same intensity. This research aims to analyze the cell wall disassembly of two cultivars displaying contrasting susceptibility to damage after pitting induction. In addition, we evaluated the metabolomic and transcriptomic changes in sweet cherries during cold storage. Our results show that damage to 'Sweetheart' fruit was more severe than damage to 'Bing' fruit. No differences were observed in the cell wall composition between nonpitted and pitted cherries; however, the varietal differences during cold storage were the most significant. The resistant cultivar 'Bing' showed a longer sidechain of RG-I; instead, 'Sweetheart' PME and PG activity was more marked at the beginning of cold storage. The metabolomics analysis revealed several compounds related to the abiotic stress response, such as 3O-coumaroyl-D-quinic acid, chlorogenic acid, GABA and beta-sitosterol. Furthermore, transcriptomics showed a higher expression of stress-related hormones in the susceptible cultivar and cell wall remodeling-related genes in the resistant cultivar. In conclusion, the contrasting susceptivity to surface pitting in sweet cherries can be attributed to the varietal response to cold storage rather than the mechanical stress of pitting induction.
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    Deciphering the behind blackspot exocarp disorder in avocado cv. Hass through a hormonal, transcriptional and metabolic integration approach
    (2024) Nunez-Lillo, Gerardo; Hernandez, Ignacia; Olmedo, Patricio; Ponce, Excequel; Arancibia-Guerra, Camila; Sepulveda, Laura; Carrasco-Pancorbo, Alegria; Beiro-Valenzuela, Maria Gemma; Carrera, Esther; Banos, Jorge; Campos, David; Meneses, Claudio; Pedreschi, Romina
    Avocado cv. Hass is an important sub-tropical crop with an increasing global demand. However, the avocado supply chain experiences significant fruit losses, particularly during the postharvest stage due to diseases and disorders that manifest after prolonged cold storage or the ready-to-eat stage. The blackspot exocarp disorder, which appears as brown or black blotches only after extended cold storage conditions, leads to substantial commercial losses for exported avocados. This research aimed to identify transcriptomic, metabolomic, and hormonal changes in avocado fruits affected by blackspot disorder, differentiating between the green and black exocarp tissues directly impacted by this physiological disorder. The results showed a correlation between the black-colored exocarp of blackspot affected fruits with high levels of gibberellins, cytokinins, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid hormones. Metabolically, these changes were accompanied by a high fatty acid content of oleate, palmitate and linoleate. Using a metabolic pathway reconstruction analysis, we integrated hormonal and metabolic data with transcriptomic information. This approach identified several genes involved in central carbon metabolism, long-chain fatty acid elongation, and jasmonate/salicylate biosynthesis pathways, as well as a possible accumulation of lignins due to a high expression of genes associated with the phenylpropanoid pathway in the black exocarp of blackspot-affected fruits. These findings suggest that blackspot disorder results from a combination of plant defense mechanisms triggered to strengthen the fruit exocarp tissue.
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    Proteomic and Low-Polar Metabolite Profiling Reveal Unique Dynamics in Fatty Acid Metabolism during Flower and Berry Development of Table Grapes
    (2023) Olmedo, Patricio; Vidal, Juan; Ponce, Excequel; Defilippi, Bruno G.; Perez-Donoso, Alonso G.; Meneses, Claudio; Carpentier, Sebastien; Pedreschi, Romina; Campos-Vargas, Reinaldo
    Grapevine development and ripening are complex processes that involve several biochemical pathways, including fatty acid and lipid metabolism. Fatty acids are essential components of lipids, which play crucial roles in fruit maturation and flavor development. However, the dynamics of fatty acid metabolism in grape flowers and berries are poorly understood. In this study, we present those dynamics and investigate the mechanisms of fatty acid homeostasis on 'Thompson Seedless' berries using metabolomic and proteomic analyses. Low-polar metabolite profiling indicated a higher abundance of fatty acids at the pre-flowering and pre-veraison stages. Proteomic analyses revealed that grape flowers and berries display unique profiles of proteins involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, triacylglycerol assembly, fatty acid beta-oxidation, and lipid signaling. These findings show, for the first time, that fatty acid metabolism also plays an important role in the development of non-oil-rich tissues, opening new perspectives about lipid function and its relation to berry quality.
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    Proteomics analysis reveals new insights into surface pitting of sweet cherry cultivars displaying contrasting susceptibility
    (2022) Nunez-Lillo, Gerardo; Ponce, Excequel; Alvaro, Juan E.; Campos, David; Meneses, Claudio; Campos-Vargas, Reinaldo; Carpentier, Sebastien; Fuentealba, Claudia; Pedreschi, Romina
    Surface pitting in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is characterised by depressions development on the skin surface. Pitting damage happens during harvest and postharvest handling and develops during cold storage. This study compared two cultivars with contrasting susceptibility to pitting (Kordia: tolerant; Sweetheart: susceptible) using a LC-MS/MS proteomic approach to identify key metabolic and signalling pathways related to this disorder during ripening and postharvest storage. The variability observed in the principal component analysis was driven by the cultivars suggesting that surface pitting susceptibility is triggered by the inherent differences between cultivars. Proteins involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis were more abundant in Kordia. Moreover, CCR (cinnamoyl-CoA reductase) and FLS (flavonol synthase) proteins showed higher abundance in Sweetheart. An overexpression in enzymes related to the synthesis of abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene were found in Kordia. A higher abundance of sucrose synthase (SUS), UDP-glycosyltransferases (UDP-GT) and polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIP) were observed in Kordia, while a higher content of invertase (INV) was observed in Sweetheart. The overexpression of the studied pathways suggests that tolerance to surface pitting could be correlated to one or more of these factors, and susceptibility might be given by the inherent differences in the metabolic processes of each cultivar.